The Daimyo's Escort
by TheMiscellaneousGirl
Summary: It was important for every shinobi to utilize their unique talents for the best interests of their village. For a certain Konoha kunoichi, this meant acting as escorts for frivolous officials that unfairly determine the welfare of the village. When the son of the Wind Daimyo demands her to be his escort, Miyu will need all her training just to survive. GaaraXOC
1. An Escort Mission

"Ehhh?! The Daimyo's son?!" Temari exclaimed, her jaw wide open for any passing flies to freely enter. She had an incredulous look on her face and she was looking at Gaara as if his head was missing. Gaara sighed, pinching his non-existent brows.

"Yes, the Daimyo's son will be coming-of-age soon. The Daimyo expects his son to get well-acquainted with Suna and its Kazekage."

The Kazekage needed to ensure the best possible future for Suna. This required money, lots of money. Money that only the Daimyo had. Leaving a good impression on the future Daimyo was imperative for Suna. Added to the fact that Gaara hasn't been Kazekage long enough for him to have any outstanding achievements yet made this even more crucial.

"Therefore, he will be touring the village for a week."

Unfortunately, that wasn't the main issue at hand. Accommodating the Daimyo's son for a week would be no problem. Suna was very safe and he would be well-guarded at all times, Gaara would guard him himself if he had to.

"But this is unreasonable!" Temari slammed her hand on the Kazekage's desk. "If he needs an escort, then it should be Sand shinobi!"

The cause for Temari's outburst was the picture on Gaara's desk. It was obviously taken by an amateur and at a very bad angle at that. Even though the person wasn't facing the camera, her main features could still be clearly seen. Her gentle dark eyes and milky caramel hair braided into a crown adorned atop her wavy hair were quite distinct after all. There was only one shinobi with such fawn-like features.

"I agree, but his instructions were very specific." Gaara grimaced, not wanting to think about the other instructions the Daimyo's son had, they were quite strange and Gaara felt very uneasy when he first read it. This whole situation perturbed Gaara, the pit of his stomach slightly burned and his chest felt tight. It wasn't the first time he felt this way about Miyu and it still frustrated him that he couldn't understand where such feelings arose from. He was hesitant to bring it up with his siblings; it was a difficult sensation to put into words.

Temari heaved a great sigh, but her fists were still clenched on the table.

"We can't leave Miyu alone with such a pervert!"

Ah so Temari knew about the Daimyo's son's… inclinations. At first Gaara felt a surge of relief, but then realized the implications of what Temari had just said.

"Has he done something inappropriate to you before?" Gaara asked with alarm visible in his eyes.

Gaara knew that his sister occasionally had escort missions for the Daimyo's son since he demanded that he only wanted females guarding him. Gaara didn't think that his sister wouldn't be able to handle any attempts the Daimyo's son made, but he had never asked before. Temari was always in a stormy temper after those missions.

"Nothing other than always trying to take pictures of my butt and asking me to use my fan to create a gust of wind to blow up girl's skirts," Temari huffed.

Gaara winced. The ideas of Miyu being in that sort of position made him feel sick to his stomach. He was definitely going to have indigestion tonight after dinner at the rate of this conversation.

"Miyu is very capable, she can handle him." Gaara reasoned, with both Temari and himself. The Konoha kuniochi was not to be underestimated despite her delicate appearance. _She can take care of herself_ Gaara thought almost desperately.

"And we have no choice; the Daimyo's son refuses to visit unless she is here to personally escort him."

Temari heaved another sigh, the finality of the decision no longer up for debate from Gaara's firm tone.

"I will have a message sent to Konoha right away then."

* * *

"Have you ever meet the Wind Daimyo's son Miyu?" Tsunade peered over the letter in her hand. She had summoned the petite kuniochi after receiving the message from Suna this morning. The candid photo of Miyu had even been included, as if to provide undeniable proof that she was the perpetrator of a serious crime.

"I don't think so." Miyu furrowed her brows, trying to recall if she had ever met someone like that. She was never someone with a great memory for people, but she always made an extra effort for important officials for her missions. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the palm of her hand, filtering through all her recent missions.

"Ah!" Her eyes lit up with realization. "It might have been a couple months ago, when I escorted our Daimyo to a famous spa hotel for his birthday. I think there were some officials from the Wind Country staying there as well."

It had been quite an unremarkable mission Miyu recalled, but she did enjoy taking a dip into the hot springs. However, other than the Daimyo and the people around him, she hadn't paid much attention to anyone else. No one had spoken much to her either, but that wasn't a surprise, Miyu tried to make sure she didn't stand out after all.

"But I never met with any of them personally."

Tsunade hummed thoughtfully, reading over the letter again before carelessly throwing it atop her cluttered desk. She laced her fingers together, providing a mount for her head to rest on before she spoke.

"Well, he would like you to be his personal escort on his week-long tour of Suna in a couple of weeks."

Miyu's eyes widened, the warm Konoha sun giving her eyes a chestnut glow. Her first thoughts flickered to the red-haired Kazekage, wondering what he thought of this circumstance and why he permitted them to happen.

"But why? Surely there are other shinobi more qualified than me to escort the Wind Daimyo's son? I'm not as familiar with Suna as them." Miyu shook her head, unable to comprehend why she was singled out.

"It seems the Wind Daimyo's son is insistent on you," Tsunade chuckled, clearly amused by the situation, "he even went so far as to refuse to arrive in Suna unless you're there to accompany him."

"I… see."

It wasn't the first time Miyu had been singled out. Unlike most shinobi, she carried herself with a sweet demeanor and was well-suited for escort missions though she didn't realize this herself. She was popularly requested by officials. However, Miyu did not particularly care for babysitting silly old politicians. She'd rather walk dogs or even clean up the river. Tsunade noticed the disdainful expression on Miyu's face.

"Now I know you don't enjoy such missions, but Suna is an important ally to us."

The pout on Miyu's face didn't budge.

"I'm sure Gaara would appreciate the favor."

"…"

Tsunade sighed.

"And I'll give you a week-long vacation."

* * *

"You're going to be gone for two weeks?!" Naruto garbled through a mouth full of ramen.

"To escort the Wind Daimyo's son for a week in Suna," Miyu confirmed before taking a spoonful of ramen herself. With the amount of time it takes to travel to travel to Suna and the week-long escort, she wouldn't get to eat such good ramen for a while.

She had met Naruto on her way home from the Hokage's office and had been promptly dragged to eat Ichiraku with him for lunch. They both lived in the same apartment building so it was no surprise that they frequently ate ramen together. After almost being force fed ramen one time, Miyu decided it was easier to just start walking to Ichiraku any time she ever saw him.

"You always get picked for these sorts of mission," Sakura observed, a tint of jealousy in her voice. She had long since finished eating her bowl.

"It's cause you're too ugly for them," Sai commented bluntly. He was quickly silenced with a punch in the face that sent him flying down a few blocks. It would be a while before he returned to his seat. Miyu laughed weakly at her violent friend.

"Yeah you're always gone for a long time!" Naruto complained through the noodles, careful not to make eye-contact with Sakura.

"It's not like I want to!" Miyu protested, "I'd rather go on missions with you guys to find Sasuke."

Naruto and Sakura gave each other a depressing look, but both smiled at the whining girl between them. They appreciated her sentiment a lot, she was one of the few people who actually believed and supported bringing Sasuke back.

"But I'm sure Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara would be delighted to see you!" Sakura nudged Miyu in the side in a teasing manner.

"I doubt I'll have time to hang out with them, I'll be escorting the Wind Daimyo's son the whole time," Miyu pouted.

It was unusual for Miyu to complain so much, she was usually the optimistic one of the bunch. _She must really hate these kinds of missions_ Naruto and Sakura both thought. A sweat-drop formed on their heads when Miyu comically slunk her head onto the table.

"Well then, it's Gaara's fault that he's not pretty enough to escort the Wind Daimyo's son himself then!" Naruto chimed, "some Kazekage he is!"

Sakura shook her head disapprovingly while Miyu giggled from the table.

"Is the Kazekage gay?" Sai sat back in his seat, a smile on his face despite the beating he had just taken.

The thought of Gaara being gay never crossed Miyu's mind. He didn't seem like the type to hold romantic feelings for anyone in general. _If he is gay, then the target of his affection would most likely be…_ Miyu looked at Naruto thoughtfully.

"What is there something on my face?" Naruto asked.

"You can always go to Suna early too," Sakura suggested, choosing to ignore Naruto and Sai's questions.

Miyu brightened slightly at the thought of spending time with the Sand Siblings. She hadn't seen them since the end of the mission to rescue Gaara. It had been such an emotional mission for her that she hadn't had time to properly spend time with them when the mission ended. Gaara had also been acting strange towards Miyu, but she assumed it was a side-effect of him no longer having his tailed beast anymore.

"Yeah I think I will!"

* * *

After getting permission from Tsunade to depart a few days early, Miyu was at the grand entrance of Konoha. The giant gates loomed over her tiny figure as she summoned a large red elk adorned with flowers on its antlers.

"You summoned me Lady Miyu?" The red elk had an unexpectedly traditional way of speaking.

"Formal as always Koji," Miyu affectionately stroked her traveling companion, "we're headed to Suna."

The red elk dipped his head lowly, granting Miyu access to his antler crown for her to hoist herself onto his back.

"It should take less than two days," Koji promised.

Red elk were well-known for their stamina and traveling speed. They have always been a dignified species and only formed contracts with those who had earned their respect. Miyu had saved Koji from a pack of wolves when he was still a fawn. She was a child then and bore the bite mark from the encounter with pride. With Koji's fast pace and without the need for breaks, it took a little over half the usual amount of time to arrive in Suna. They would have easily arrived in a day and a half if the sand terrain didn't slow Koji's jog.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The tall defensive walls of Suna were reminiscent of Konoha's entrance. Miyu gingerly slid off Koji's back, her body a little stiff from the journey. A Sand shinobi walked out to meet her and the fatigued stag. She said farewell to Koji and he disappeared in a puff of smoke before the greeter reached her.

"Ah Miyu-san! We just received word from the Hokage that you were on your way!" He exclaimed, shocked that she had made the journey from Konoha to Suna in such a short amount of time.

Most of the Sand shinobi were well-acquainted with Miyu, she had spent quite a bit of time in Suna helping them implement the new Ninja Academy curriculum as well as acting as a mediator for the alliance before she departed for her own training agenda like Naruto. Even at a young age, Miyu's diplomatic talents were used to Konoha's advantage. There was a reason she was assigned so many escort missions for high-ranking officials other than her pleasant demeanor.

"Yes, well I travel slightly faster than your average shinobi I suppose," Miyu gave him an easy smile, "I have Koji to thank for that."

"Well we're always happy to see you!"

A few other Sand shinobi had joined them at this point as they walked towards the city. They were asking her all sorts of questions and filling her in on how Suna was doing as if she was born and raised in Suna all her life. Despite the stark difference in terrain and climate, Miyu felt at home in Suna just as much as in Konoha.

* * *

Ever since Gaara had received the message of Miyu's early arrival to Suna, he had not been able to concentrate on his paperwork. As usual, there were many projects to be approved and things to be noted to bring up with the Daimyo officials. It was certainly not a glamorous job in the largest office in Suna, even if you did get to wear silk robes.

In contrast to the Hokage, Gaara was very efficient with his documents thanks to years of insomnia. He never thought that he would one day come to appreciate his lack of need for sleep. Even with Shukaku no longer residing inside him, he could only manage up to a few hours of sleep before naturally waking up again. With all those extra hours, Gaara could read through and sort all the documents before they became a substantial pile on his desk. Therefore, it was highly unusual to see even the small stack of paper he had accumulated.

Gaara looked out the window from his office again. He had been doing that a lot today, gazing towards the entrance into the village facing Konoha. Then his thoughts would wander to Miyu. The last time he had seen her was when she rescued him along with Naruto and Kakashi. It was the first time he had seen her in over a year and she was crying. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry. Part of him ached because he knew that he was part of the reason she had been crying. The other reason had been Chiyo's sacrifice and the memory made Gaara's chest tighten a little.

Then she hugged him. It was the first time he had ever been hugged by her. Gaara's chest tightened a little more.

He didn't receive hugs that often. The only person who gave him hugs was Temari and even that was rare. The first time Temari hugged him was when he gave her a birthday present last year and the following time was when he was revived by Chiyo. Neither of those times had made Gaara's chest constrict like the way Miyu had.

At first, Gaara had assumed it was a side-effect of being revived. His body was stiff and still getting used to functioning after being dead for a while. It was a one-time occurrence he thought. But then it kept happening. Like when she gave him a warm smile or when she tucked her hair behind her ear or when she caught him staring at her absent-mindedly.

Thinking back on it now, Gaara wondered if anyone had noticed his odd behavior. The thought that Miyu had noticed him acting strange made him suddenly feel very self-conscious. He tried to remember how he usually acted around Miyu before, but that was well over a year ago and he was still getting used to getting along with people in general at that point.

Gaara sighed at the futility of his thoughts.

 _I really need to get back to work_.

* * *

Temari was the first to find Miyu. Even though Miyu was supposed to report to the Kazekage right after arriving, she had gotten sidetracked by so many citizens and Sand shinobi that it was already almost nightfall and she was not even halfway to the Kazekage's office yet. From local store owners to little kids, it seemed like everyone in Suna wanted to chat with Miyu and Temari was one of them.

"Popular as always I see!"

Miyu looked over to see Temari waving at her and smiled warmly at the site of the Kazekage's only sister. Miyu thanked the owner of the fabric store she was chatting with; she had just received a set of kimonos from the store owner. It wasn't the first gift Miyu had received today.

"I helped her design a few patterns that became popular" Miyu explained to Temari when she caught up.

It was quite overwhelming to be bombarded by the local citizens. Miyu didn't expect so many people to remember her from a couple years ago and she hadn't had time to walk around the city the last time she was here either. The village was in a crisis without their Kazekage after all. Even so, Miyu wasn't expecting to be hailed as a hero. This inadvertent humbleness was part of what made her so likeable though. Many people waved as she and Temari walked towards the Kazekage building.

"When did you arrive?" Temari asked as she helped her carry some of the bags in Miyu's arms. There really were a wide variety of goods from foodstuffs to weapons.

"A little past noon I think."

"What?! The sun's already setting!" Temari gasped, thinking about Gaara waiting in his office. He was probably still there. She had noticed him working more slowly than usual. She had also noticed him staring at the village entrance and had an inkling of an idea of what, or more like who, was occupying his thoughts.

"I didn't expect to get sidetracked so much," Miyu sighed, hoping Gaara wasn't upset with her. The Sand shinobi who had greeted her at the village entrance had probably already informed the Kazekage of her arrival.

"Do you think he'll be mad at me?" Miyu gave Temari a hopeful look, seeking advice. She hadn't spoken with Gaara properly for a while and the idea of their first conversation being an unhappy one due to her extreme tardiness made her apprehensive.

 _I think a part of him is hoping you'll never arrive_ Temari mused, but the look on Miyu's face was just begging her to be teased.

"I don't know," Temari said as neutrally as possible, suddenly pretending to be quite interested in a passing store selling sandals.

"What? How could you do this to me?" Miyu begged, "what should I say when I see him?"

Temari hummed, not giving Miyu an answer. She was thinking of all sorts of funny things Miyu could say to Gaara that would make even his stoic face blush. Temari was very observant when it came to her youngest brother and she might have been the only one to notice Gaara's odd behavior towards Miyu. Kankurou was a little denser when it came to these sensitive matters and she had a strong suspicion that Gaara didn't fully understand his feelings himself. She was usually quick to explain unfamiliar emotions to Gaara, but she was determined to let him figure this one out himself. He might feel a little uncomfortable with the Wind Daimyo's son in the upcoming week, but Temari trusted Gaara not to do anything stupid. He was the Kazekage after all.

"Temari!" Miyu whined, noticing that they were finally closing in on the largest building in Suna; it had the kanji character for Wind engraved on the center of its round walls. She was starting to get nervous, imagining Gaara's reaction when she walked in dreadfully late.

 _What if he Sand Prisons me?_ Miyu gulped at the thought realizing that she had never seen Gaara angry before. She had only seen him bloodthirsty with aching loneliness, but never truly angry. It wasn't something she was looking forward to seeing either.

"Just tell him you missed him so much that you came a few days early to spend time with him," Temari said as gravely as she could, her eyes betraying her amusement. She was secretly looking forward to seeing her little brother's reaction.

They were standing before the door to the Kazekage's office. Miyu's heart skipped a beat, excited to see her old friend and afraid to see him at the same time. She gave two soft knocks on the door, hoping Gaara had already gone home.

"Enter."

Miyu's heart plummeted and she considered hiding behind Temari, but decided that wouldn't be very respectful. So, with a deep breath, she slowly turned the doorknob and walked in as if she was about to meet her executioner. Little did she know that Gaara could feel his pulse pounding in his head when she walked in. Her footsteps were so light and quiet that Gaara swore she floated in. He was vaguely aware of the time, noting that she has already been in Suna for several hours. But even if she had arrived five days after Gaara received word of her arrival, it still wouldn't have been enough time for Gaara to prepare himself for the sensation of seeing her float in.

"Beautiful," Gaara whispered aloud the first thought in his head. He then wanted to bang his head on his desk when he realized what happened. He humorlessly wondered if he would even feel any pain with his sand guard. Instead, he had to settle for the heat wave that burned his cheeks like the scorching desert. Temari was certainly enjoying the scene already and Gaara knew that his older sister would tease him about it later.

For Miyu, seeing Gaara's flushed face and averted eyes confirmed her fears. _So he is upset with me_ Miyu thought despondently. She had been so preoccupied with what to say to Gaara that she had entirely missed his whispered blunder. Now she was confronted with an ocean of silence that she swore she was drowning from the sound of her own breathing.

"You're here a few days early," Gaara broke the silence first, his face already back to its normal pale shade. He decided to stick with the facts. He was familiar with the facts. It was a safe topic that he could navigate with ease.

"I missed you and wanted to spend a few days with you!" Miyu blurted out, desperately not wanting Gaara to be angered any further.

Gaara's eyes widened, his voice suddenly caught in his throat. Everything he had planned on saying seemed to disappear from his mind, the direction he was planning on taking with the conversation and the facts he had lined up gone. The facts were clearly no longer a safe topic.

"Uhm... w-well…" Gaara stammered over his words, trying to suppress the blush that was threatening to blossom on his cheeks again. Miyu's words were already starting to repeat itself like a broken record inside his head. He felt light-headed and struggled to compose himself. All the while, his heart was pounding against his ribcage. It was almost deafening.

"I-I missed you too." Gaara managed to slowly state. He was extremely conscious of how much of a fool he must have sounded and he tried to summon all the composure he had to just get through this one conversation. Temari was silently laughing at her brother's inner battle.

"Really?" Miyu asked. She had noticed Gaara's struggle and was worried that he was going to explode at her. When she saw him calm down and say he had missed her as well, she felt relieved beyond measure. She took it as a sign that he was no longer angry.

"Yes." Gaara nodded to confirm, deciding to stick to short responses for now.

"Thank goodness! I thought you were going to kill me for coming to your office so late after arriving!" She gave Gaara her signature warm smile and he felt his heart swell at the sight. The entire office seemed to brighten and he couldn't help but return her smile with a small one of his own.

"It's no problem," Gaara assured her, his heart finally getting used to her presence, "you are a few days early."

"Well I was serious about wanting to spend time with you," Miyu said, shyly making eye contact.

Gaara gripped his robes tightly, creating bundle of crinkles in the silk fabric. His heart was threatening to jump out his throat again and he felt uneasy with the idea of being alone with Miyu.

"And with Temari and Kankuro too!"

The tension in Gaara's shoulder visibly relaxed and he let out a small breath of relief.

"Aw only you could say such sweet things!" Temari declared as she brought Miyu into her arms for a tight hug. She really acted like a doting older sister sometimes. Miyu's stomach growled in response and she gave a sheepish chuckle.

"Ah ha ha… I guess I could go for some sweets right now."

Miyu rustled her hair in embarrassment, she hadn't had eaten any substantial food in almost two days unless you counted the food pills she had eaten while riding on Koji. Temari smiled affectionately and patted Miyu on the head as if she was a hungry little pet waiting to be fed.

"How about dinner instead?"

* * *

It was a little jarring for Miyu to have such a peaceful meal. She was so used to the rambunctious company of a certain ramen-loving ninja that she felt that there was an odd lack of presence with the Sand Siblings. Although both Temari and Kankuro seemed to have a lot of say. They filled her in on the going-ins and outs of Suna as of late while Gaara mostly remained quiet, only speaking up to clarify certain points in the conversation. Miyu had already been well-informed of the changes in Suna from the villagers, but she respectfully listened all the same. It was important for Konoha to know how their neighboring ally was doing and Miyu would have to include such information in her report to Tsunade.

"So Miyu…" Temari began, a mischievous tone in her voice that Miyu became wary of.

"Any men catch your eye today in the village?"

Miyu nearly choked on the piece of tofu she was about to swallow. Kankuro chuckled good-naturedly as he gave Miyu firm pats on the back to help her regurgitate the tofu that was caught in her throat. She glared at Temari, not noticing that Gaara had also stopped eating to listen to Miyu's response. However, Miyu didn't want to give Temari the satisfaction.

"Why? Are you in the market now?" Miyu teased back, taking a sip of water to help clear any debris that had been left in her throat from her coughing fit.

"Is that what you spend your free time doing nowadays Temari?" Kankuro interjected jokingly, "man-hunting?"

"Like I have time for that!" Temari retorted, flustered that the tables had been turned on her, "we've been too busy preparing for the Daimyo's son's visit in a few days! Right Gaara?"

Everyone turned to Gaara and he gave a solemn nod. He was still waiting to hear Miyu's response to Temari's question. Were there any men she was interested in from the village? Gaara desperately wanted to know, but Miyu and his siblings were waiting for him elaborate on the preparations for the Daimyo's son.

"The Daimyo's son has many… quirks that we need to accommodate."

"You mean fetishes Gaara," Kankuro stated matter-of-factly.

"I thought Kankuro's doll fetish was weird already," Temari admitted.

"They're not dolls, they're puppets and I use them for combat!"

"This is the first someone has ever demanded their attendants to wear maid outfits and cat ears," Gaara sighed.

"Have you ever considered dressing your puppets in maid outfits Kankuro?" Temari asked.

"No! That would defeat the purpose of them looking intimidating!"

"But have you ever thought about it?"

Miyu giggled at the idea of Kankuro dressing up his puppets in maid outfits. No one besides Miyu saw this side of the Sand Siblings and she felt warm to be included as if she was part of their family. Even though her home was technically in Konoha, she could feel the same warmth of the sun from the village around the Kazekage and his family.

"Do I need to wear a maid outfit and cat ears?" Miyu asked light-heartedly, wanting to join in on their family banter.

The Sand Siblings glanced at each other in silence. Temari gave Miyu a pitiful look and Gaara's mouth formed a hard line. Kankuro was trying to imagine about what his puppets would look like in maid outfits and decided it was too horrifying to even visualize. Miyu was suddenly filled with a sense of dread and regretted opening her mouth.

"…yes."


	2. Suna

Although Miyu had said she wanted to spend time with the Sand Siblings, they didn't exactly have the free time to keep her company all day. As the Kazekage, Gaara needed to tend to the village's needs, assign missions, and convene meetings. Temari and Kankuro had their own agendas and missions they needed to accomplish. They also always needed to be there to provide support for Gaara.

Thus, Miyu was at the tailor's shop alone getting her maid outfit custom-fitted for her. Temari had suggested she go early since it apparently had a pretty complex design that would take a couple hours to adjust. It wasn't the first time she had escort outfits made for her, but it was the first time she had ever worn something so… frilly. However, that wasn't what disturbed Miyu the most about the frivolous uniform; it was the short length of the skirt that made her cringe. There was no doubt that it suited her small and feminine figure, but it didn't really leave much to the imagination. Miyu was concerned she wouldn't be able to hide as many kunai as she preferred in the chiffon bunches. If this wasn't for a mission and she weren't such a well-trained shinobi, she probably would have died of embarrassment from having to wear such a thing in public.

 _At least it's pretty comfortable to move in_ Miyu thought as she tested out a few a kunai throws. She wasn't expecting this to be a dangerous escort mission. There were going to be Sand shinobi guarding the Wind Daimyo's son in the shadows at all times. If anything, she was only there to act as his glorified bodyguard, which just added to her growing list of reasons why she wasn't looking forward to the day after tomorrow.

Miyu heaved an exasperated sigh, remembering the conversation she had with Temari in the morning. They had gone to a café for an early breakfast together.

"He's a first-class pervert Miyu, don't let your guard down," Temari had warned.

Perverts were no big deal, Miyu was used to them. Heck, even Naruto was a pervert sometimes and she found his company enjoyable.

"He'll probably try to take pictures up your skirt."

Okay that was a little extreme, but nothing Miyu couldn't handle. Though that might prove to be more difficult than she thought with the shortness of the skirt she was forced to wear.

"And I hope this doesn't happen, but if he really likes you, he might try to hire you as his personal bodyguard," Temari had made a disgusted face, clearly insinuating something more disturbing.

Now that filled with Miyu with worry. _This might be more of a challenge than I thought_ Miyu thought dejectedly. Someone as important as the son of the Wind Daimyo was probably not used to being outright rejected. The fact that he had given such detailed instructions for the outfit of his attendants and escort were warning bells for his tastes. Miyu didn't flatter herself as a woman the Wind Daimyo's son would find particularly desirable. However, the fact that she had been singled out at such a busy spa hotel was an indication that his interest had already been piqued by her. Not only that, it clearly didn't matter to him that Miyu was a shinobi from a different village.

Miyu examined herself carefully in the mirror. The maid outfit really did suit her, more so than she thought it would. It was well-designed and detailed down to the engraved buttons. Her short stature and delicate features were complimented by the layers of ruffles. Even Kankuro would reconsider having a doll fetish when he saw her. Miyu looked like she belonged in a glass case, protected from the harsh sand and dust of the desert.

* * *

After finally being fitted and told to return the next day to pick up the adjusted outfit, Miyu contented herself with walking around Suna. It was relaxing wandering around the unfamiliar parts of the sandy city, not many people recognized her. The city never seemed to change much compared to Konoha. She attributed that to the uniform shape and color of almost all the buildings in Suna. There probably weren't many building structures that were suitable for the climate of the scorching desert.

Miyu tried to make a mental map of possible escape routes as she strolled. She doubted it was necessary, but you could never be too careful. Alleyways were good hiding spots and if a fight did break out, it was better to lead it away from heavily populated areas. _Such as that busy hospital at the end of the block_ Miyu noted.

However, as Miyu neared the bustling medical center, she noticed that makeshift tents were set up around the hospital courtyard. They were usually only erected for emergencies when the hospital couldn't accommodate the amount of people needing treatment. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the village when Miyu walked around yesterday and no one had seemed terribly concerned during dinner last night.

 _Maybe this is normal?_ The idea that the hospital couldn't regularly accommodate patients made her stomach toss uncomfortably.

"Please! My son is sick and needs a room!" A mother pleaded, carrying her toddler son in her arms, he was covered in bandages. She wasn't the only person in the small crowd pleading with hospital personnel for a room.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but there are no rooms left. With the recent viral outbreak, all we can do is quarantine your child in one of the tents here."

The people around Miyu whispered, expressing feelings of sorrow for the mother before going about their own day. Miyu's heart ached at the sight. She stepped forward, wanting to help in some way, but what could she do? She wasn't a medical ninja and a burning frustration grew in her gut. It wasn't her place to meddle. She wasn't a citizen of Suna and didn't even have a place in Suna to call her own. It would only cause Gaara and his siblings trouble if she brought sick children into their household.

"Is this your first time seeing children being quarantined?"

Miyu jumped at the close proximity of the deep voice. She turned to see a Sand shinobi standing next to her. He had bandages covering everything below the ridge of his nose. For a moment, he reminded her of Kakashi, but this stern man looked nowhere near as kind and easygoing as Team 7's captain. He couldn't have been that much older than Miyu either. She was embarrassed to not have noticed his presence; it was part of her occupation to be sensitive to her surroundings at all times.

"…you must not be from around here," he had a sharp way of speaking. Actually, everything about him seemed sharp, down to the spiked edges of his dark hair.

"Viral outbreaks are very rare from where I'm from," Miyu admitted, "quarantines aren't usually necessary."

"The desert is a harsh place, the sand hides dangers and the climate fester illness," he said solemnly, "it used to be worse before Gaara-sama became Kazekage, children were left to die out on the streets."

Miyu wondered how she could have missed something so appalling a couple years ago. Thinking back on it now, she had never walked around the village alone. She was always with Temari, Gaara, or Kankuro and they always seemed to know where they were going. Otherwise, she was always accompanied by a guide. The village elders must have purposely kept such gruesome sights out of her range. _Probably to save face after the invasion_ Miyu realized. It made her appreciate the freedom Gaara was granting her now.

"Tezuka," the man gruffed.

"Miyu," she replied smoothly, giving a slight bow.

Tezuka scrutinized at her proper mannerisms.

"You'd best not meddle in on the affairs of Suna too much," he said darkly, "your curtsies don't impress the people of the sand. Even the smallest of children are shrewd operators."

"I'll do my best to remember that," Miyu responded politely. It was difficult for Miyu to take his warning seriously after the warm welcome she received from so many people yesterday. Suna was just as large as Konoha though. The fact that she had just become aware of Suna's lack of medical resources was evidence of her ignorance of the inner workings of the desert city.

"Humph," Tezuka grunted in acknowledgement before offering her a handkerchief. Miyu gave him a look of bewilderment. She touched her face unconsciously, expecting to find a speck of dirt on her face or something.

"You're bleeding," he stated, his tone implying that he was slightly annoyed that he had to explain himself. He gestured toward her left hand and Miyu saw there was a small cut as thin as a paper cut on the back of her hand. Red fluid was beginning to trickle down the corner. Miyu blinked, wondering when she got cut. Tezuka sighed. Then he took her hand unceremoniously and wrapped the handkerchief around it, tying a simple elegant knot on top making it look a hand bracelet.

"The sand can hide many things," he said as he tightened the knot, "such as pain and wounds."

"Th-thank you," she was caught off guard by how tender his touch was. For a brief moment, Miyu thought she saw his indigo eyes soften. Tezuka nodded slightly, satisfied with his handiwork.

"Be careful," was the last thing he said before he broke apart into the sand.

Miyu stared at where the tall man was standing for a few moments and wondered at what point in time she was talking to his sand clone. _Maybe he's not good with farewells_ was all Miyu could surmise, _but he's a lot gentler than he looks._ An image of the Kazekage appeared inside her mind involuntarily and she smiled at the similarity.

* * *

"I warned Miyu about the Daimyo's son," Temari informed Gaara. She was in his office, going over the list of Sand shinobi that would be guarding the touring Daimyo's son before giving it to Gaara for his final approval.

"Thank you," Gaara said, glancing at Temari's list and profiles of the shinobi. There were a few that were members of their ANBU Gaara noted. It was a well-balanced list, with a good portion consisting of sensory-types. He wouldn't have to worry too much about Miyu and the Daimyo's son's safety.

"He's a dangerous man," Temari said, crossing her arms on her chest with a foul look on her face.

"That's a bold statement," Gaara neutrally remarked, trying not to judge this man too much. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to distrust the Daimyo's son before meeting him at least once, even if he did make unusual demands. He would be working closely with him in the future if he did ascend as the Daimyo of the Wind Country.

"I'm serious Gaara, I'm worried about Miyu," Temari's tone was always grim when she talked about Miyu's escort mission, "she's like a sister to me."

Temari's protective statement warmed Gaara's heart. Of course Miyu was like family to them. She was the first to accept that Gaara had changed and supported him tirelessly, helping him get along with the villagers despite her busy role as a mediator between Konoha and Suna after the invasion. Even when Miyu left for training, she sent letters to keep in touch.

"Me too," Gaara said, unsure as to which part of her statement he was agreeing with.

Temari gave him a meaningful look, but decided not to say anything on it. She was content as long as he understood the severity of the situation Miyu was in.

"He's the last man I would trust Miyu to be around."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Gaara promised and Temari finally dropped the subject.

Maybe Temari was putting too much stress on the Daimyo's son's visit. There was a good possibility that he would come and go without incidence, but she had been getting bad feelings and noticing something foul in the wind lately. The last time this happened, Gaara had been kidnapped and killed from the extraction of Shukaku so she wasn't leaving anything to chance. She did feel a little guilty for giving Gaara more stress than he probably needed though.

"Why don't you take the day off tomorrow?" Temari suggested.

Gaara looked at her as if she had sprouted another head. There was always paperwork every day, especially with the planned events for the Daimyo's son in a couple days. Then there was the issue of another viral outbreak in a few well-populated districts which Gaara would have to keep contained and away from the Daimyo's son. He didn't have the luxury of taking days off on a whim.

"I can take care of the rest of the plans for the Daimyo's son," Temari tried to reason with Gaara, "most of it is already done anyway and you haven't had a chance to catch up with Miyu yet."

Temari was right of course, they were actually ahead of schedule in terms of their planning and she was well-versed in all the protocols for handling an epidemic. She was also probably the only person Gaara trusted to handle the paperwork other than himself. The Daimyo's son was arriving the day after tomorrow and Miyu would be guarding him at all times. If Gaara wanted to spend any substantial time with Miyu beforehand, it would have to be tomorrow. His chest twisted with anxiety at the thought of spending an entire day with the doe-like Konoha kunoichi, but another part of him was elated as well. It was all very confusing for the young Kazekage.

Temari interpreted Gaara's silence as agreement and decided she would bring it up with Miyu before dinner. She smiled to herself, silently hoping for developments in Gaara and Miyu's relationship. It would be nice to have some new material to tease Gaara with.

* * *

Miyu was surprised when Temari told her that Gaara had the day off tomorrow. She didn't take him as the type of Kazekage who took vacations. He was always so serious about his work and had even informed Miyu and his siblings that he was planning on returning to the office after dinner. If Temari was going to cover for Gaara tomorrow, he said he wanted to at least give her as little work to do as possible.

"You don't have any plans for tomorrow right?" Temari asked Miyu, handing her a plate of freshly cut vegetables to stir fry. They were in the kitchen of the Kazekage mansion, preparing dinner together. It was something they always bonded over. Both Miyu and Temari grew up without mothers for most of their childhood so they had both learned to cook at a young age.

"No I didn't have anything planned in particular," Miyu admitted, swirling the sizzling vegetables in a circular fashion in the pan, "I just need to pick up my maid outfit in the morning."

A quick recap of the day's events in Miyu's head led to images of a crying mother and sickly people in white tents filling her consciousness and she shook them out. She was with Temari and her friend deserved her full attention. There would be time for ruminating later.

Temari made a face at the mention of the maid outfit, but let it go. There was nothing she could do about it at this point and it wouldn't do Miyu any good to talk about how twisted it was for a man to demand a kunoichi to dress up as a maid.

"Gaara's such a workaholic that I'm worried he won't actually relax given the day off," Temari said, shaking her head as if her brother was a hopeless cause, "so make sure he doesn't try to come into the office for whatever reason!"

Miyu laughed at her friend's motherly worries. It was always entertaining seeing Temari fret over her brothers. She could easily imagine Temari saying the same thing about her husband in the future.

"Okay, if he tries to go to his office I'll make sure to knock him out before he walks into the building," Miyu joked.

"It'd probably be easier to just drug him," Temari smirked at the idea of Miyu trying to hit Gaara. They both knew that Gaara's sand would just swat her like a fly.

"Well there are more ways to knock a guy out than a smack to the head," Miyu said with a wink.

"Ew don't talk about my baby brother like that," Temari crinkled her nose in disgust, "he's not even an adult yet."

"Sorry, but it's true."

Miyu was still well into her teenage years too, being only a few months younger than Gaara. Even though she carried herself like an adult, she was allowed to make such crude jokes from time to time right?

"It was bad enough when I had to give him 'the talk' before he took office," Temari cringed at the memory.

"What was it like?"

"His face was impassive the whole time."

It was very plausible for Miyu to think that Gaara had a straight face while Temari talked about sex.

"To this day, I'm still not quite sure if he actually understood what I was saying," Temari sighed, "I sometimes wonder if he's developing normally as a man. At least if he read some porn books like Kankuro I would know that he has _some_ drive down there."

Miyu burst out laughing. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes as she clutched her stomach from the wonderful pain. She was soon joined by Temari, who had to put down her knife lest she stabbed Miyu accidentally. Gaara and Kankuro both looked towards the kitchen from their respective seats in the living room. The sound of the girl's high-pitched howls made them wonder who had been the butt of the joke this time, but both of them smiled knowingly. Miyu was the only one who could make Temari laugh like that.

* * *

Despite the adrenaline from her laughing fit with Temari, it was taxing for Miyu to involve herself in the conversation of the Sand Siblings over dinner when her mind was somewhere else entirely. Ever since she remembered the hospital scene, she wanted to be alone to reflect. She wasn't like Naruto who would sometimes knock on her apartment door in the middle of the night so he could think aloud to her and ask her to clarify his thinking. She needed utter silence and absolutely no one around, which was why she made the lame excuse of being tired and left the dinner table rather abruptly.

Miyu was sitting on the rooftop of a nearby complex. It was a quiet night and she allowed herself to gaze at the stars for a while, they always filled her with a dizzying sense of wonder.

Her mind was filled with thoughts about the pitched white tents again. She knew each village had its own share of problems. These were problems that couldn't be solved overnight. If the hospital needed to be expanded, it would need funding. The funding would have to come from the Daimyo's pocket and it was up to the Kazekage to secure such money. This was always the first step to improving the human condition in any village and what kept Gaara shut inside his office every day of the year. Shinobi could only do their best to complete their missions to the best of their ability for the sake of their village.

This train of thought led her to a certain memory:

"I don't want to do escort missions anymore," Miyu's voice was calm, she was about to try to negotiate with the Hokage after all.

"Why? I don't give these missions to just anyone," Tsunade said, as if that was supposed to be a compliment.

"Then send someone else, I didn't pledge my allegiance to Konoha so I could watch officials get drunk."

"These missions are all A-rank missions," Tsunade shook her head as she spoke, not understanding why Miyu was making such a fuss. Even Naruto wouldn't complain given such high-ranking missions.

"I don't care about what rank they are, I want to make a difference and I want to help people who actually need help," Miyu was firm, but she was beginning to raise her voice.

"You are making a difference, a huge difference in fact! These officials are all very important to the Country of Fire and need protection," the Hokage matched Miyu's tone.

"I want to help track down Akatsuki, look what they did to Naruto and Sasuke! I don't want to watch over old men who only want me there to satisfy their own egos!"

It was rare for Miyu to raise her voice, but she had so many pent-up feelings from all her recent missions. She knew that she didn't have outstanding chakra control like Sakura or amazing intellect like Shikamaru, but she was better than accompanying spoiled geezers to luncheons!

To her surprise, the Hokage didn't yell back. Tsunade just breathed a long sigh and shut her eyes, as if she was tired of having to deal with this situation again.

"I know it's hard when your friends are in trouble and you can't help them," her tone was surprisingly soft and sympathetic. Tsunade seemed to speak from personal experience, her eyes reflected pain from a time long ago. Miyu opened her mouth to protest.

"But you need to be _here_ , we can't afford to lose anymore shinobi," Tsunade's tone was firm again.

That made the young kunoichi shut up. She knew Tsunade was talking about the recent invasion during the Chunin Exams and the incident with Sasuke shortly after. She would still tear up from thinking about the Third Hokage's funeral and it hurt Miyu every time she heard Naruto renew his promise to Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back.

"At least let me train then, you're letting Sakura take a break from missions and Naruto is going on a journey with Jiraiya to train too."

If Miyu was stuck doing escort missions, she'd rather do none at all. She would train and prove that her potential was being wasted as a bodyguard.

"And how long do you plan on training?"

"Two years."

"I can't allow that."

"Naruto is going to be gone for two years!"

"One year."

"A year and a half."

Miyu and Tsunade were glaring at each other, neither budging. A long minute passed before either of them spoke.

"Fine, you may train for a year and a half once you've finished your work in Suna," Tsunade sighed in defeat, but she couldn't help but smile from the huge grin Miyu was giving her.

And here Miyu was after all those months of training, back to chaperoning bureaucrats. Granted, Tsunade started balancing her missions more so that it wasn't all dreary escort missions. She had even let Miyu go on the mission to rescue Gaara, but she drew the line when she asked to go with Naruto and Sakura to the Tenchi Bridge. Tsunade had said it was a decision made by the village elders, but to Miyu it just sounded like an excuse. She wanted to do _more_.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the memory, but her vexation from the past events had already taken hold. Miyu didn't mind that escort missions tended to be unexciting, she could deal with them if they were just like chores. But these missions were more than just boring, they were a slap to her face as to how little power she and all the other shinobi had over their fate. She knew firsthand how Daimyos and their officials acted. They didn't know anything about human suffering and were more interested in keeping up an image of power than the plight of their people. She saw these people make decisions that would destroy families in everyday conversation. The worst part was that the blood would be on the hands of shinobi like Miyu. She would eventually be the one to carry out such gruesome deeds, all for the sake of politics. It made Miyu question why she became a shinobi when she couldn't even protect people from these murderers disguised as politicians.

She took out a kunai and pressed the cold metal into her thumb until a sliver of blood flowed out. She summoned Koji quietly and he appeared before her, his hide seemed to glow under the moonlight. The ethereal elk took a moment to register their surroundings and the frustration in Miyu's eyes before giving her a look of understanding.

No words were exchanged and Miyu felt herself fuse with Koji, his presence taking up a spot in the back of mind. It was something she and Koji had spent a long time training to be able to do. Physically, her speed and stamina were enhanced by Koji although she now sported majestic antlers on her head. Unfortunately, that made this form unwieldy for combat because they were simply too big of a target for enemies. However, that wouldn't be an issue with what she was about to do. Taking a deep breath that filled her diaphragm to the brim, she let her emotions build up and unleashed it into the form of a song.


End file.
